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Teamwork vs Asana for Agencies (2026): Which Is Better?
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
Choose Teamwork for billing, retainers, and client users built into project management. Choose Asana for ease of adoption and approvals. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026.
Teamwork vs Asana: which is better for agencies in 2026?
Teamwork and Asana both suit agencies, but they come at the job differently. Teamwork builds billing and retainers into project management. Asana focuses on ease of use and clean work tracking.
We compared price, client features, and fit.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teamwork | 4.4 / 5 | G2 4.4 | Free forever plan and a 14-day free trial on paid plans. Basics $9.99 and Accelerate $24.99 per user per month, billed yearly; Optimize and Enterprise are quoted. | Small to mid-size agencies |
| Asana | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.4, Capterra 4.5 | Free for up to 2 users. Starter $10.99 and Advanced $24.99 per user per month (billed annually). | Small to large agencies |
How do Teamwork and Asana compare on price?
Teamwork Basics costs $9.99 per user per month on annual billing, with a 3-user minimum, and Accelerate costs $24.99 with a 5-user minimum. Asana Starter costs $10.99 annually ($13.49 monthly) and Advanced costs $24.99 annually ($30.49 monthly).
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teamwork | Free Forever | $0 | Up to 5 users and 5 projects, tasks, lists, boards, Gantt and table views, time logging |
| Teamwork | Basics | $9.99 per user/month (annual billing) | Minimum 3 users, 300 projects, unlimited templates, billable time tracking, 5,000 automations |
| Teamwork | Accelerate | $24.99 per user/month (annual billing) | Minimum 5 users, 20,000 automations, workload planning, retainers and time budgets, invoices from logged time |
| Teamwork | Optimize | Custom | Quotes, resource scheduling, financial budgets, profitability, Salesforce and NetSuite connections |
| Teamwork | Enterprise | Custom | SSO, advanced security, dedicated success manager, priority support |
| Asana | Personal | $0 | Up to 2 users, unlimited tasks and projects |
| Asana | Starter | $10.99 per user/month (annual billing); $13.49 monthly | Timeline, dashboards, automations, free guests |
| Asana | Advanced | $24.99 per user/month (annual billing); $30.49 monthly | Portfolios, goals, workload, approvals, time tracking |
| Asana | Enterprise | Custom | SSO, SCIM, capacity planning |
Which is better for billing and retainers?
Teamwork. Billable time tracking is in every plan, and Accelerate adds retainers, time budgets, and invoices from logged time. Asana includes time tracking on Advanced but has no built-in invoicing.
Agencies that bill by retainer will find Teamwork closer to how they work.
Which is easier to learn?
Asana. Reviewers consistently describe it as intuitive, and part-time collaborators pick it up quickly. Teamwork offers more features and a denser interface.
Asana also offers free guests on paid plans, while Teamwork offers unlimited client users on paid plans.
Which costs less?
Teamwork Basics is cheaper per user than Asana Starter, but it has a 3-user minimum. At the agency tier, Accelerate costs about the same as Asana Advanced and adds billing features.
Both have free plans, with Teamwork allowing 5 users and Asana allowing 2.
How do Teamwork and Asana compare on integrations, security, and support?
Beyond price, agencies ask about connections to their other tools, what to tell clients about security, and how quickly they can get help. This is what each vendor states publicly, as checked in October 2026.
| Area | Teamwork | Asana |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | More than 150 integrations including Slack, Microsoft Office Add-in, HubSpot, Stripe, Xero File, Harvest, Claude and ChatGPT | 200+ apps listed on the integrations page; Notable: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Drive, Gmail, Outlook, Zendesk, Salesforce |
| Security | SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified; Two-factor authentication on every plan; SSO on Enterprise; role-based permissions on every plan; GDPR was not stated on the pages read | SOC 2 Type II (and a SOC 3 report), ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701, and CSA STAR Level 1 listed; GDPR; HIPAA available as an opt-in with requirements; Two-factor authentication can be required for members and guests; Google and Microsoft SSO; SAML and SCIM from Enterprise; audit logs with Enterprise+; 256-bit encryption at rest and in transit |
| Support | Email and live chat on paid plans, Monday to Friday 7am to midnight IST with limited weekend cover; Premium support and a dedicated success manager on Enterprise; response times are not stated | Help Center, Asana Academy, community forum, and developer guide; Direct support from Asana's team; 24/7 priority support for Enterprise customers; dedicated customer success specialists with eligibility requirements |
| Apps | iOS and Android apps in every plan | iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows apps |
What are the pros and cons of Teamwork and Asana?
Here is where each tool helps agencies and where it can get in the way, based on plan details and public feedback.
Teamwork pros
- Time tracking, billable time, and client users built in.
- Retainers, time budgets, and invoicing from logged time on Accelerate.
- Workload planning and resource scheduling on higher plans.
- A free forever plan and SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certifications.
Teamwork cons
- Basics requires 3 users and Accelerate requires 5.
- Financial budgets, advanced invoicing, and resource scheduling need Optimize, which is quoted.
- Client users are not available on the free plan.
- Support is stated Monday to Friday, with limited weekend cover.
Asana pros
- Easy to learn, so new hires and clients get comfortable quickly.
- Unlimited free guests on paid plans make client collaboration simple.
- Portfolios and workload views help leads see capacity across accounts.
- Approvals and proofing support creative review loops.
Asana cons
- The most agency-relevant features (portfolios, workload, approvals, time tracking) need the Advanced plan.
- Time tracking is basic, and budgets and timesheets cost extra, so profitability needs another tool.
- The mobile app is a common complaint for slowness and missing features.
- The interface can feel crowded to first-time users on large workspaces.
What do reviewers say about Teamwork and Asana?
G2 shows Teamwork at 4.4 from 1,215 reviews and Asana at 4.4 from 14,164 reviews. Teamwork is praised for status visibility and ticket tracking, and Asana for ease of use.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teamwork | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 1,215 |
| Asana | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 14,164 |
| Asana | Capterra | 4.5 / 5 | 13,616 |
Reviewer themes for Teamwork
- G2 shows Teamwork.com at 4.4 from 1,215 reviews.
- G2 reviewers like how it organizes the team and shows current status.
- Reviewers praise ticket tracking, automation, and custom fields.
Reviewer themes for Asana
- G2 shows 4.4 out of 5 from 14,164 reviews, and Capterra shows 4.5 from 13,616.
- Capterra reviewers describe the interface as easy to learn and good for organizing tasks, and praise its reporting and analytics.
- One marketing-focused reviewer called it close to perfect for marketing teams and agencies, while saying it fell short for a more technical organization.
How does setup differ between Teamwork and Asana?
Getting value from either tool depends on how you set it up, and the first steps differ. Here is the practical starting point for each.
Teamwork: Set up one client project with tasks, billable time, and a budget, so the team sees how time rolls into invoices.
Asana: Begin with a project template for a typical client engagement, including the standard sections, tasks, and owners. Asana works best when every project looks familiar, so people can find things without asking.
What should agencies check before choosing between Teamwork and Asana?
Small details in plans and limits decide whether a tool works in practice. Check these points for each tool during a trial on a real client account.
Before you buy Teamwork
- Check the minimum users for the plan you need.
- Confirm which plan includes retainers, budgets, and invoices.
- Ask about support response times.
- Pilot with one client for two weeks.
Before you buy Asana
- Confirm which plan includes workload, portfolios, and approvals, because that is Advanced.
- Price in the add-on for timesheets and budgets if you need them.
- Test the mobile app on the devices your team really uses.
- Plan a standard project template so large workspaces stay tidy.
How should you test Teamwork and Asana before deciding?
The fairest test is to run both tools on the same real client account for two weeks, with the same people, and compare the results rather than first impressions.
What to measure
- How long it takes a new team member to be productive in Teamwork versus Asana.
- How often people open each tool without being reminded.
- Whether the plan you need includes the features you tested, not just the entry price.
- How a client reacts if you invite them to either tool.
- How much time the team spends on notifications, setup, and cleanup each week.
Which should you choose: Teamwork or Asana?
Choose Teamwork for billing, retainers, and client users built into project management. Choose Asana for ease of adoption and approvals.
Pilot both on one client for two weeks.
Choose Teamwork if
- You bill by project or retainer and need time, budgets, and invoicing together.
- You want unlimited client users on paid plans.
- You want published SOC 2 and ISO certifications.
Skip Teamwork if
- You have fewer than 3 or 5 users and cannot meet minimum seats.
- You need the finance features without a quoted plan.
- You want a very flexible, build-your-own tool.
Choose Asana if
- You want a polished tool that account managers, designers, and clients will actually use.
- You run creative review loops and need approvals and proofing.
- You want free client guests on a paid plan.
Skip Asana if
- You need budgets, invoicing, and profitability in the same tool.
- You want deep customization of fields, views, and workflows on a small budget.
- Most of your team works from a phone and needs a fast mobile app.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Teamwork or Asana better for agencies?
- Teamwork for billing and retainers, Asana for ease of use.
- Which is cheaper?
- Teamwork Basics costs less per user, but has a 3-user minimum.
- Does either have invoicing?
- Teamwork includes invoices from logged time on Accelerate. Asana has no built-in invoicing.
- Which has a bigger free plan?
- Teamwork allows 5 users. Asana allows 2.
- Which has a bigger review base?
- Asana has far more reviews on G2.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Teamwork pricing page
- Asana pricing page
- G2